After 36 years at the ZF Group, Rolf Lutz will retire in the fall of 2016. As a member of the board of management, 64-year-old Lutz is currently responsible for corporate quality, commercial vehicle technology and the region of South America. In the last two years he also supervised the establishment of the ZF real estate management. Lutz has in particular left his mark on ZF’s commercial vehicle business by driving internationalisation and innovation in a variety of positions.
Dr. Stefan Sommer, ZF’s chief executive officer, says: “For a number of years, Rolf Lutz has made a major contribution to the ZF Group as an ambassador for commercial vehicle technology. In addition, he pushed product quality to a high level worldwide.” “With the modular Traxon commercial vehicle transmission, ZF set a new benchmark under his leadership. In addition, Rolf Lutz set up and further developed effective, flexible quality tools throughout the Group that frame the company’s current global manufacturing network and strategic growth.”
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Lutz began his career at ZF Friedrichshafen in 1980 after completing his training and mechanical engineering studies. Born in Tubingen, Lutz occupied various positions in the testing, sales and technical application departments. These functions also took him to the far east. He worked in Gainesville, Georgia (US) from 1999 to 2002 as group vice president. Since 2002, he has focused on the commercial vehicle technology division, initially as head of the truck driveline technology business unit in Friedrichshafen. In 2008, he was appointed to the board of management and since 2011 he has been responsible for commercial vehicle technology within the board of management.
“I believe that the ZF Group is on the right path and well equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Strategy 2025 sets the course in the right direction and makes ZF a sustainable, dynamic and successful company,” says Lutz. He is taking advantage of the 2016 International Motor Show to open up his international network to his successors. On this occasion, he will personally say good-bye to his long-term contacts in the commercial vehicle industry. Board member Wilhelm Rehm, who is responsible for corporate materials management and industrial technology, will assume responsibility for the commercial vehicle business from Rolf Lutz. In the future, corporate quality will be headed by Franz Kleiner, who is also responsible for the active and passive safety technology division. Peter Lake, member of the board of management responsible for corporate market, will assume responsibility for the region of South America from Lutz. ZF real estate management will be headed up by Dr. Sauer. ZF is planning an official good-bye ceremony for Rolf Lutz for the end of September 2016 in the new ZF Forum headquarter building in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
